The CAA provides a mandatory dispute resolution process of counseling and mediation for the settling of disputes. If the parties involved are not able to resolve their dispute through counseling and mediation, an employee may either pursue a non-judicial administrative hearing process with the Office of Compliance or file suit in Federal court. The administrative hearing process offers speedier resolution and greater confidentiality than a Federal civil suit while still offering the same remedies that a court can provide.
The dispute resolution process is a multi-step process. All employees, including district office staff, must follow established dispute resolution procedures in order to process their claims under the CAA. Only after an employee has engaged in the required counseling and mediation can a remedy be granted. The failure to follow these procedures or to meet established time lines may jeopardize any claims raised under the CAA.
- Step One: Counseling
- Step Two: Mediation
- Step Three: Civil Action or Administrative Hearing
- Step Four: Review by the Board of the Office of Compliance
This is only a brief description of the dispute resolution process. For complete information on the rights, procedures, and remedies established by the CAA, refer to the Congressional Accountability Act (2 U.S.C. 1301 et seq.) and the Office of Compliance Procedural Rules.
